MIT Radiation Laboratory WWII Antenna Slide Rule Microwave Radar for Sale

MIT Radiation Laboratory WWII Antenna Slide Rule Microwave Radar For Sale

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MIT Radiation Laboratory WWII Antenna Slide Rule Microwave Radar:
$250.00

MIT Radiation Laboratory WWII Antenna Slide Rule Microwave Radar.

This sliderule was found at the estate of a former World War II veteran who later became a NASA engineer specializing and antennas and microwaves. I was happy to find it, as my father was also a World War II veteran, and was a navigator who worked directly on the radar project while deployed in Europe. I remember his stories, and now I am excited to learn about the MIT project.

This slide rule is slightly over 10 inches long when closed, but extends out. The back of the slide rule is just plain wood and not painted. It has a small gouge on the back, and has the numbers 54-28 and L-155 written on the back. It has a black case. The black case appears to be made of some sort of paper and is held together with some tape that someone attached to it. The black case has significant wear. Please note that often slide rules come with a metal window that slides over the entire piece with a cursor in the center. This slide rule does not have that. It is either missing or did not come with one.

The MIT Radiation Laboratory Rad Lab existed from 1940 to 1945. It was a confidential site that was devoted to microwave and radar research. The team at the lab designed half of all the radar systems used during the war.

Radar was a new secret technology, and was instrumental in the success of the Allies. Because the skies were often overcast, bombers had difficulty bombing their targets repeatedly over days. Radar allowed them to accurately find targets even when it was cloudy. German submarines would surface at night to recharge their batteries. However, with this top secret radar, Allied planes would be able to "see" their targets and destroy the subs. The German officers reported back to Germany that they had no idea how the Allies were finding them at night. Radar was also instrumental during D-Day, as it was an overcast day but Allied planes were able to bomb the beaches ahead of the Allied flotilla without harming the boats.

There's a great article online covering the secret MIT lab and how sliderules helped win the war.

This is an extremely rare microwave slide rule. It is marked confidential, as keeping this information secret was critical to the war effort.

This is a rare piece. The only one I was able to find online was in the MIT museum.

Please see pictures for details of condition. Please use the zoom tool if necessary as the pictures are an important part of the description. I am happy to answer questions.

If you love old engineering items and technology, please take a look at my store. I have many vintage technology textbooks and other computer related items.